Puneeth Rajkumar bust installed overnight without permission removed

TUMAKURU: A bust of late actor Puneeth Rajkumar, which was installed at Honnavalli village in Tiptur taluk on Thursday night without permission was removed by the police early on Friday morning. It was later handed over to the gram panchayat authorities.

The Kannada Rakshana Vedike Appu Sene had sought permission from the gram panchayat on December 18, but permission for installing the bust had not been granted. Late in the night on December 19, the villagers unveiled the statue.

The bust was removed from its pedestal by the police.

However, to their surprise, they found the bust missing the next morning when they went to conduct puja. The police had removed it earlier in the morning. This led to anger among the Appu fans in the village.

The panchayat authorities explained that a statue or bust cannot be installed near highways and police stations. They also pointed out that without the panchayat passing a resolution granting permission, it cannot be installed. They also said that permission cannot be granted in one day.